A hydrophobic biofilm membrane modified with a spiropolyurethane may be used for desalination of salt water to fresh water. The spiropolyurethane component of the membrane can produce a hydrophobic spin membrane boundary which attracts saline water, and where the hydrophobic spin membrane boundary can comprise a hinge-like motion for capture of salt molecules via a loose pore-gate spongy membrane surface texture while allowing desalinated water to flow through the porous membrane. The membrane is useful in both reverse osmosis (RO) and membrane distillation (MD) separations, including the desalination.

Disclosed herein are vapour-phase crosslin ked composite membranes in the form of crosslinked polymers and defined inorganic materials. The membranes disclosed herein may have a narrow pore size distribution and precise molecule separation ability and may be used for organic solvent nanofiltration and organic solvent reverse osmosis. Also disclosed herein are methods of forming the membranes, and filtration. In a preferred embodiment, the vapour-phase crosslinked composite membrane is obtained by exposing a composite membrane comprising polyimide and UiO-66-NH.sub.2 particles to an amine vapour.

The present technology provides micro fabricated filtration devices, methods of making such devices, and uses for microfabricated filtration devices. The devices may allow diffusion to occur between two fluids with improved transport resistance characteristics as compared to conventional filtration devices. The devices may include a compound structure that includes a porous membrane overlying a support structure. The support structure may define a cavity and a plurality of recesses formed in a way that can allow modified convective flow of a first fluid to provide improved diffusive transport between the first fluid and a second fluid through the membrane.

The present invention relates to a dialysate regeneration method that reduces a urea concentration of a urea-containing aqueous solution, the method including a reverse osmosis process of obtaining, from the urea-containing aqueous solution, a concentrate having a higher urea concentration and a permeate having a lower urea concentration by using a reverse osmosis membrane element at an operating pressure of 0.5 MPa or more and 2.0 MPa or less, in which the urea concentration of the urea-containing aqueous solution is 0.5 g/L or more, the reverse osmosis membrane element includes a reverse osmosis membrane, and the reverse osmosis membrane has a pore diameter of 7.0 Å or less as measured by a positron annihilation lifetime measurement method.

A device for exchange of water molecule and temperature between two fluids. The device comprises thin molecular sieve membrane sheets that allow water molecules to permeate through while blocking cross-over of the exchanging fluids. The device provides two sets of flow channels having a hydraulic diameter ranged from 0.5 to 2.0 mm for respective process and sweep fluid flows. The two sets of the channels are separated by a membrane sheet having a thickness less than 200 μm. The thin molecule sieve membrane may be prepared by forming an ultra-thin zeolite membrane layer on a porous metal-based support sheet which provides very high water permeance so that the exchange can be conducted in a compact membrane module at high throughput. The device can be used to remove water from a process stream of higher water content by use of a sweep fluid of lower water content or higher water affinity. For example, the device can be used to condition outdoor fresh air close to the temperature and humidity of indoor air by conducting humidity and heat exchange between the fresh air flow drawn from outdoors and waste air discharged indoors.

There is provided a system and method for angstrom confinement of trapped ions. The method including: receiving water molecules and ionic compounds in a first reservoir, an angstrom confinement assembly is positioned between the first reservoir and a second reservoir, the angstrom confinement assembly defining angstrom conduits; and repeatedly applying an electric field across a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode on a same side of the angstrom confinement assembly as the first reservoir and the second electrode on a same side of the angstrom confinement assembly as the second reservoir, the electric field applied such that, when the electric field is applied, positive ions of the ionic compounds are induced to flow through the angstrom conduits, and wherein, when the electric field is not applied, water molecules flow into the angstrom conduits due to capillary forces to confine the positive ions in the angstrom conduits.

A device for exchange of water molecule and temperature between two fluids. The device comprises thin molecular sieve membrane sheets that allow water molecules to permeate through while blocking cross-over of the exchanging fluids. The device provides two sets of flow channels having a hydraulic diameter ranged from 0.5 to 2.0 mm for respective process and sweep fluid flows. The two sets of the channels are separated by a membrane sheet having a thickness less than 200 μm. The thin molecule sieve membrane may be prepared by forming an ultra-thin zeolite membrane layer on a porous metal-based support sheet which provides very high water permeance so that the exchange can be conducted in a compact membrane module at high throughput. The device can be used to remove water from a process stream of higher water content by use of a sweep fluid of lower water content or higher water affinity. For example, the device can be used to condition outdoor fresh air close to the temperature and humidity of indoor air by conducting humidity and heat exchange between the fresh air flow drawn from outdoors and waste air discharged indoors.

The present technology provides micro fabricated filtration devices, methods of making such devices, and uses for microfabricated filtration devices. The devices may allow diffusion to occur between two fluids with improved transport resistance characteristics as compared to conventional filtration devices. The devices may include a compound structure that includes a porous membrane overlying a support structure. The support structure may define a cavity and a plurality of recesses formed in a way that can allow modified convective flow of a first fluid to provide improved diffusive transport between the first fluid and a second fluid through the membrane.

The present invention relates to a polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) membrane comprised of at least one bilayer, wherein the bilayer is comprised of a layer of a polymeric polycation and a layer of a polymeric polyanion. Furthermore, present invention relates to methods for the production of these PEM membranes by layer-by-layer deposition and the use of these PEM membranes for the decontamination of liquids, preferably water.

Filters and filter devices for removing silica from ultra pure water, and methods for using the filters and filter devices, are disclosed.